Smart home devices can extend to your whole property including the lawn and garden. RainMachine and Rachio smart sprinklers and irrigation systems will conserve your water, and cash flow. But who “reigns” supreme?

In this fast-paced life, we always want to automate things as much as possible. Introducing smart tech is a considerably less explored part of our homes – our gardens! These devices will automate the way you sprinkle water in your garden. It takes intelligence to a whole new level where the device can act according to user-based settings and can be controlled from anywhere. The two products we are going to discuss today are the RainMachine Touch HD Smart WiFi Irrigation Controller and the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller.

Lower Your Water Bill And Ensure A Beautiful Yard WIth The Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller

Control your sprinkler from your fingertips, anywhere around the world. You can easily turn on the Rachio Smart Sprinkler using the app or using voice via Google Home and Amazon Echo. Another amazing feature of this device is that it will control the sprinkler based on the local weather. In case it is going to rain, then it will inform you accordingly and water your garden. This can save a lot of water usage.

It is quite easy to install the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller. They can easily replace your existing ground sprinkler system. You can then split the zone according to the connection made while installing the device. The device connects to the Wi-Fi instantly. You can name all your zones for better reference via the app. The app is fairly straightforward to use.

Though the voice control is not that very great, the app covers all the flaws. You can easily schedule how you want each zone to distribute water. The manufacturer claims that they have got the most 5-star ratings on Amazon. Rachio is also are committed to ongoing sustainability efforts. The device is EPA WaterSense Certified which entitles you to utility rebates of up to 100%. The device also works with Nest, SmartThings, and can be customized using the IFTTT technology.

“Easy installation and works very well with Alexa. My old device was pretty much useless and this allows me to control the watering while traveling.” – Amazon Customer on July 28, 2018

“The team at Rachio is extremely helpful and responsive as well. They have integrated with all of my other home automation products (SmartThings, Google Home) and the whole product continues to improve over time. There is no doubt this is the best smart irrigation controller available on the market and it keeps getting better.” – Scott Scowden on June 1, 2017

“Great product. Super simple to install. I have it integrated with my Samsung SmartThings as well as my Google Home. I cannot think of anything i dislike about this product.” – Timothy on August 14, 2017

“Have been nothing but happy since we got Rachio. It works amazingly with Alexa commands as well, and is super easy to install and program. Now we can manage the irrigation even when we’re travelling or at work. It’s also excellent at monitoring weather fluctuations to hold off on watering if necessary. ” – Kaushal on May 29, 2018

Save Money And Conserve Water With The Easy To Operate, Weather Aware RainMachine Smart Irrigation Controller

This beautiful device is sure to catch attention from all your guests who visit your home. The RainMachine Smart WiFi Irrigation Controller boasts of a 6.5-inch touch screen controller. This controller makes the device fairly easy to use. The device, when connected to WiFi, downloads the weather from multiple sources which ensure that the device is up to date.

Setting up the RainMachine Smart Irrigator is quite easy. The device allows for up to 12 zones to be configured. Once the device is installed, it connects to the Wi-Fi and the app. It can be controlled from anywhere across the globe using Android/iOS/PC, giving you all around access. You can set schedules for each of the zones. The stats on the dashboard give you an overview of how things are working at the moment.

Though the RainMachine does not, at the moment, provide support for any of the external sensors, it can integrate with Amazon Alexa, Nest, Wing and SmartThings. The device also supports IFTTT for detailed customizations. It is EPA WaterSense certified which means you might get rebates on your utility bills. There is an Open API which can be used in order to integrate to this app with something that is being customized.

“I love this thing. Lawn looks great. Water bill is lower. Also tied it into IFTTT so I can tell Google home to water the lawn.” – George A Crossley on December 6, 2017

“This thing is awesome. I never even have to use the actual controller. I control EVERYTHING from the app and website.
In my opinion, its a must have. Those default controllers are confusing.” – Travis West on July 30, 2018

“The RainMachine is the bomb (good). I replaced my old Rain Bird conventional timer-controller. The RM is way, way, way easier to program. I control mine through Alexa (I have 4 Alexas outside under the eaves) – the RM is just great. I had never heard of RM when I started searching, but I took the chance aynd was rewarded.” – mattchematt on May 28, 2018

“I liked everything about it. Easy to install. Easily programmed and controlled from device itself, from phone, and from Alexa. Weather adjustments work like a charm.” – Robert Gaddie on May 21, 2018

Both the devices have their own pros and cons. It comes down to what you are after. In case you want a device, which can be customized according to your needs, then the RainMachine will suit you the best. If you just want the device to work without much manual intervention, then the Rachio is a better choice.

Want to see more smart home battles? Click here for the complete listing.

Be The Superhero Of Your Smart Home

You can teach an old 🏡 new tricks with smart devices. Whether your house is one or one hundred years old it can be a smart home. Sign up today to see the top 12 smart devices to build your smarter home. 🙂
Are you more interested in a Google smart home or an Amazon smart home? Let us know above.